How to Care for Your Skin Through Menopause
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Effective skincare is essential for maintaining healthy, vibrant skin at any age. It should work to support the skin barrier’s function, helping retain moisture and shield against pollutants, pathogens and UV radiation. However, the skincare products that help our skin thrive in our 20s and 30s may not have the same impact during our 40s, 50s and beyond. This is why it’s important to adjust our regimens and products throughout the many changes our body and skin experience over a lifetime.
One of the most noticeable changes within a woman’s body happens during menopause. And much like puberty, this time period is often anticipated with anxiety or fear. But it’s important to remember that it’s just a regular part of aging, and with the right tools, it can be another chapter that is mastered and completed.
“Aging is a natural process that affects every cell in our bodies, and menopause is part of every woman’s life experience. When the skin is healthy, it is better equipped to withstand the effects of hormonal changes and the natural passing of time,” explains Carl R. Thornfeldt, MD, FAAD and Epionce Founder.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the biological process that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years and typically occurs between ages 40 and 50. While menopause isn’t “official” until one year has passed since the last menstrual cycle, some women experience the effects of hormonal changes beforehand, even as early as their 30s, known as perimenopause. The most common timeframe for the onset of these hormonal changes is between 40 and 44.
So, what’s to blame? Most menopause symptoms are caused by the body’s decreased estrogen and progesterone production. This drop in levels can manifest in hot flashes (feelings of warmth in the skin), profuse sweating, mood swings, trouble sleeping and more.
How Menopause Affects the Skin & Skin Barrier
These hormonal changes can also have significant effects on the skin, as dropping estrogen levels are directly correlated to accelerated aging of the skin. The primary skin concerns for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause are fine lines, dullness, blemishes, dark spots, dryness, itching and sensitivity. As a woman approaches menopause, the following changes may start to appear:
- Decreased collagen production: Collagen is a vital protein for skin health. Production of this protein decreases due to hormonal shifts as women enter menopause. Because of this, the skin begins to experience a loss of elasticity and visible firmness.
- Sagging skin and wrinkles: Estrogen also stimulates fat deposits, which can become redistributed and concentrated in certain areas of the body during menopause. This loss of supportive fat below the skin in the face and body, in addition to decreasing elasticity and visible firmness, often translates to the sagging of skin and wrinkles appearing more prominent.
- Thinner skin: Because blood flow in the skin decreases during this time, fewer nutrients and oxygen are able to reach the skin’s surface. This, coupled with slower skin cell turnover, contributes to a thinning of the skin and ultimately, a weakened barrier function.
- Dryness: Thinning may also result in a decrease of moisture in the skin. Combined with the loss of natural oils, this can be a recipe for excess dryness and uncomfortable, tight-feeling skin.
- Blemishes: Menopausal breakouts are common, particularly in the lower half of the face like the chin, neck and jawline. This symptom of hormonal imbalance can feel particularly frustrating as the skin in these areas may simultaneously feel dry and irritated.
- Dark Spots: As menopause progresses, the amount of melanin in the skin may also decrease. As a result, the skin is more susceptible to sun damage, melasma, and dark spots.
How to Keep Your Skin Barrier Healthy Through Menopause
At every age, Epionce strives to deliver healthy, beautiful skin. The menopausal period is no different, with recommended skincare products for each of the most common skin struggles. Every healthy skin regimen includes a cleanser and Lytic specific for your skin type, plus a daily sunscreen. Beyond that, we’ve highlighted our must-haves for each common menopausal skin struggle.
Skin Aging Must-Haves
To fight the visible signs of accelerated aging, you’ll want products that simultaneously provide cell nutrition, calm irritation, reinforce the skin barrier and promote the skin’s natural rejuvenation process.
Blemish Must-Haves
To maintain clear pores, it especially important to use products that work to remove impurities and calm problem skin.
Lytic Gel Cleanser or Purifying Wash
Dark Spot Must-Haves
To diminish visible spots and improve uneven tone, you’ll want to avoid harsh ingredients, like hydroquinone, and instead employ all the benefits of proven botanicals that are gentle, yet effective on the skin.
Dry Skin Must-Haves
To enhance hydration and relieve uncomfortable feeling skin, you’ll want products with ingredients like soothing colloidal oatmeal and meadowfoam to keep scaling at bay.
In addition to employing the right regimen for a healthy and balanced skin barrier, Dr. Thornfeldt recognizes that, “aging gracefully” requires a comprehensive approach both inside and out. “Together, making healthy lifestyle choices in terms of diet, exercise, sleep and stress management — and committing to an Epionce skin care regimen — are the ideal path for optimizing the health of the skin.”
Consider the environmental factors that can also aid in your menopause journey. Things like…
- Hydration: Maintaining hydration levels from the inside out is equally as important to applying topical hydration. Increased water intake can help to counteract dryness in the skin.
- Nutrition and Supplements: Eating for your skin health is no different, and a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins and healthy fats is the goal. Supplements can also help to support healthy function and appearance.
- Lifestyle Choices: Managing stress through techniques such as meditation and exercise, ensuring adequate sleep, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption will always ensure your skin remains healthy, radiant, and resilient.
While menopause can feel like a challenging time, “Embracing aging by taking good care of your mind, body and spirit should be celebrated as a positive moment in everyone’s life,” Dr. Thornfeldt notes. And Epionce, alongside the above habits, can offer substantial support to help lessen and overcome the symptoms.
Our suggested Epionce regimens are a recommendation only and may need to be adjusted by a skin care professional based on factors including skincare goals, skin type, sensitivity, age, gender, climate and lifestyle. Interested in learning more and finding the right regimen for you? Contact one of our Epionce Pros — trained skincare professionals who will provide in-person guidance tailored to your needs.